Picker stick connection for looms



Oct. 25, 1932. B, WALKER I 1,884,425

PICKER STICK CONNECTION FOR LOOMS 'Filed Nov. 3, 1931 #Qi/u ATTORNEY Patented 9ct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES rP'l'lihl'll GFFCE SHERBIAN B. WALKER, OF NEWTON, NE'W JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIFTHS TD BESSIE MARIE, @E MONRGTJ, NEWT JERSEY PICKER STICK CONNECTION FDR LODMS Application led November The present invention relates to a clamping device for picker stick staffs. Heretofore it has been customary to drill holes in the picker stick, usually made of hard wood, in order to securely clamp the means for supporting the sweep stick and its accompanying lug strap. The lug strap is usually made of leather or similar flexible material.

As is well known in the art, the sweep stick co-acts with the lay of the loom and therefore it is thought that an extended explanation of this feature is not necessary. Drilling holes through the picker stick has a tendency to considerably weaken the same and a breakage of the stick obviously results in serious damage to the loom. W'ith this in mind, I have constructed an adjustable pillow for the lug strap and its sweep stick without resorting to any drilling of the picker stick staff. EX- perience has proved that this is a superior construction, resulting in more accurate adjustments for the height of operation of the lug strap and the prolonged life of the picker stick staff.

I also provide means carried by the adjustable pillow blocks to confine thereon the lug strap without however causing any binding action therebetween. This feature is also thought to be important since the lug straps vary in their dimensions particularly in their height.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of a picker stick provided with my improvement.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of an enlarged scale, on line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

In the accompanying drawing, numeral l denotes the picker stick staaf pivoted at 2. At 3 is shown a flexible strap which is connected to the usual actuating spring 4 for re turning the picker stick to its initial position.

I have shown at 5 an appropriate sweep 931. Serial No. 572,242.

stick and the usual lug strap 6. The numeral 7 denotes pair of hard wood pillows adapted to be slidably, yet rigidly mounted, on the opposite faces of the picker stick staff. To readily accomplish thisthere is shown on each of the pillows 'T an encircling metal strip 8. Substantially mid-way between the longitudinal faces, these metal strips are serrat-ed as shown at 9. Screws 10 are provided to positively fasten these strips to the aforementioned metal strips. As will be seen, the serrations of the metal strips 8 will embed themselves into the opposite faces of .the picker stick staff and rigidly hold the wooden pillows, supporting the lug strap in position. The eXtreme ends of the metal vstrips 8 are`l provided with a right angular bend 11 and 1:2. These ends are apertured for the reception of a bolt 13 provided with an adjusting thumb nut 14. It will be readily seen that these metal strips reinforce the wooden pillows and prevent a splitting or cracking thereof when the thumb nuts are tightened. At l5 is shown another bolt provided with anr appropriate conventional thumb nut 16. rIhe square part of the round shank is designated at l? with the head of the bolt 18. V A U-shaped member I9 has its upper extremities slotted as at 23 and are disposed superimposed relation to each other as shown at '20. Rivets 24 entend through the superimposed ends of the shanks 19 and carry a cushionl 2l for engagement with the upper edge of the lug strap. v By virtue of this construction it will be readily seen that the U- shaped element automatically conforms it self to the distance between the two pillows 7. The lower ends of the parallel extending shanks of the U-shaped member are preferably provided with a plurality of equi-distant spaced square holes 22 to accommodate the bolt l5 and prevent the turning of the U- shaped member with respect to the aforementioned pillows. tion, I have readily provided means to adjust the U-shaped element to any height of the lug strap that may be encountered on different types of looms. The front part of th t By virtue of this construcat 25, to prevent possible cutting into the blocks, caused by the metal parts of the sweep Stick and the rear part is preferably rockershaped as at 26 to give the lug strap more play, when the picker staff goes forward.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a simple and inexpensive means for adjustably supporting the sweep stick and its accompanying lug strap. I have accomplished this without drilling holes in the picker stick staff or weakening the same through recesses or other means. Hence the operator is enabled to readily adjust the lug strap precisely at any desired height. All that the operator has to do is to slide the pillows along the face of the picker stick staff and after they are located at a desired height a tightening of the thumb nuts 14 and 16 will rigidly secure the same, the serrations 9 of the metal strips 8 will then bite in the opposite faces of the icker stick sta'l".

C anges maybe made in the details of the construction and the arrangement of the various parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modified form of structure or use of mechanical equivalent, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent A picker stick clamping device comprising a pair of parallel arranged supporting pillows, said supporting pillows being provided with metal bands, said metal bands being serrated for a distance substantially corresponding to the width of the picker stick sta', a pair of adjusting bolts being carried by the wooden blocks and provided with adjusting thumb nuts, and a U-shaped element, adjustably carried by the pair of supporting pillows, the Shanks of which extend in a vertical position to said pillows and their eX- treme upper ends being superimposed and slotted for lateral adjustment, a lug strap cushion carried by said superimposed members and rivets carried jointly by them, ada ted to hold this aggregate in substantial y parallel relation and permit slight lateral adjustment thereof.

SHERMAN B. WALKER. 

